The Chronicles Of Grant County
Memorial Day
2025
"Dawn breaks over the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014, in Boise, Idaho," according to the caption for this photograph. "Local dignitaries held a Memorial Day Ceremony there later that day." (This photograph was produced by Technical Sergeant Samuel Morse and was provided courtesy of the United States Air Force, May 26, 2014.)
Today is Memorial Day, "…the nation's foremost annual day to mourn and honor its deceased service men and women," according to a statement from the National Cemetery Administration of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. "Originally called 'Decoration Day,' it was formalized by a 'Memorial Day Order' issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868."
This day of remembrance was held each May 30 annually until 1971. In that year and since, Memorial Day has been observed on the last Monday of May and has been "…a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle," noted a statement from the U S Department of Veterans Affairs on October 30, 2023.
In Southwest New Mexico, Decoration Day/Memorial Day was noted in a number of news articles during the late 1800s. In some years, there appear to have been observances of this day, though in other years, there appear to have been no formal events recognizing the purpose of this day in the region.
We look back today to review some of those news articles. Please note that some words, abbreviations, and grammar techniques were different more than one hundred years ago.
On May 24, 1889, the Western Liberal of Lordsburg reprinted a news article from the Albuquerque Citizen: "Governor [Edmund] Ross has been invited, and has accepted the invitation, to deliver the addresses in this city on Memorial day. The governor was a member of the eleventh Kansas regiment during the late unpleasantness [American Civil War], and bore an honorable part in the family row [American Civil War]. His address will be worth coming a long distance to hear."
The same newspaper included the following question in the same edition: "Next Tuesday [May 30] is memorial day. Are there any soldiers buried here and are there any old vets who will see that they are remembered[?]"
In the following year, on May 30, 1890, the Western Liberal reported that "To-day is Memorial day and all over the broad land, wherever there is a soldier's grave it is being decorated with flowers."
One year later, the Deming Headlight reported on May 30, 1891, that "This is Memorial Day, set apart in commemoration of the names and deeds of valor and patriotism of those soldiers of the Grand Army [Union Army] of the grandest Republic [United States of America] the earth has ever seen, who, after passing through the greatest war that history records for the preservation of American national autonomy, have gone to their graves."
"Almost a generation of time has passed since the beginning of that struggle, and a new generation of people has come upon the stage," the news article continued. "One by one the participants are passing away. 'Yank' and 'Reb' are passing down together to the sleep that knows no waking. They are nearly all gone. But a little while, and the final tattoo will have sounded for the last of the war's survivors – the farewell volley will have rung out over the grave of the last of its heroes, and Memorial Day will have passed into history."
The Deming Headlight continued by noting that "In the nature of things other wars will come – history will record the deeds of daring of their heroes – monuments will rise to the memory and other Memorial Days will be decreed to their manes [names], and the pages of almost unread history, with the monuments of stone, and brick, and mortar, will be the only visible conspicuous reminders of what is now known as the Grand Army of the Republic [Union Army]."
"In the rushing tumult of events and the ever increasing tide of the pushing, seething crowd of humanity, there is no bivouac, no such word as halt, and little room for the past," this newspaper in Grant County (Luna County had not yet been created) noted at that time. "Even now, the heroism of the revolutionary struggle in which the Republic was born is daily becoming an indistinct reminiscence. 'To-day' commands attention and absorbs public and individual interest and thought."
The newspaper concluded by stating "So it will not be strange or unnatural, and cannot be regarded as ungrateful, that as time recedes and the actors pass from view, the grand heroism and personality of the war of the great rebellion shall become ancient history and but a memory. The world moves. Events, not men, leave their impress upon history. The death of no man creates a vacancy."
In 1893, newspapers in Silver City and Deming noted the observance and non-observance of Memorial Day.
The front page of the Deming Headlight on May 27, 1893, included a note that "Next Tuesday [May 30] is Memorial day."
The Southwest Sentinel of Silver City on May 30, 1893, reported that "This is Memorial Day but it will not be celebrated in many places in New Mexico. It has been several years since any attempt was made to celebrate the day in Silver City."
A question was asked the following year on May 29, 1894, in the Southwest Sentinel: "Memorial day falls on the 30th of May. Is Silver City going to observe it in any way?"
A few days later, on June 2, 1894, The Deming Headlight included a dispatch from Silver City dated June 1, 1894: "Wednesday [May 30] being Memorial Day the stores closed at 12 m. [12 Noon] that being the only observance of the day in this city."
The Eagle newspaper in Silver City reported on May 29, 1895, that "The city schools will close tomorrow in observance of Decoration day."
This newspaper, on the same date, also noted that "No preparations have been made here for the observance of decoration day and it is quite probable that there will be no more demonstration than there has been for several years. Some years ago when there was a grand army post here an attempt was made to celebrate the day, but the celebration was not a pronounced success."
Decoration Day was the theme of religious services in both the Episcopal and the Methodist churches in Silver City in 1896.
On May 27, 1896, The Eagle reported that "Next Sunday evening, Rev. Edward S. Cross, of the Episcopal Church, will preach a sermon appropriate to the Sunday following Decoration Day."
A week later, on June 3, 1896, The Eagle included a news article that stated "Saturday, May 30 was Decoration Day. Old soldiers of the late war [American Civil War] desire to thank Rev. [A. A.] Hyde and the choir of the Methodist church for Memorial services rendered last Sunday evening."
On June 2, 1899, the Western Liberal in Lordsburg reported that "Tuesday was Memorial day. There was no public observance of the day in Lordsburg. At the postoffice and depot flags were flying at half mast during the day."
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